This series is just full of twists and shocking and tragic circumstances!
In this book, Darren and Harkat are traveling with the Cirque du Freak when the Cirque ends up back in Darren's hometown. Of course, he wants to see how the town has changed and how his family and friends are doing, but he is unsure of how involved with them he should be.

SPOILERS
Of course, Steve manages to show up in this book, and it is revealed that he has a son. I was not surprised to learn who the boy's mother was (Annie), but it complicates things for Darren considerably. I am becoming rather depressed about this "Lord of the Shadows" business. It is so upsetting that Darren is destined to either die or turn into a murderous monster. They have trusted what Mr. Tiny, Evanna, and Mr. Tall have said so far but I can't help but HOPE beyond hope that they are all somehow wrong about Darren's destiny. I also cried when Steve killed Shancus. It was one of the worst deaths of the series, even worse than Mr. Crepsley's. I just want this all to be over!! I think the vampires and the vampaneze have a good chance of peace once Steve is GONE.
SPOILERS END

This book was very sad and I am hoping that the next and last book will help to tie up loose ends and I really hope all ends well for Darren and company.

4.5/5 ...

For the second time in this series this book has got me on a chokehold. I was just deeping how a few books ago the main problems being faced by Darren and the rest of the vampires and characters and what not are so miniature compared to right now. Like the best way I could compare it to is the last few books of Harry Potter as all hell breaks loose and everything's so much darker than it was to all the books prior. Like this book is just jaw dropping and i really have nothing else to say without spoilers so...

spoilers

... okay first of all the end got me sooo sad. Not even the end of the book, I mean like the literal end; it says how all sagas must come to an end

A bearable book. I suppose the intention is to draw a circle before the final confrontation, but come on. It is almost a mockery. Visiting Darren's hometown, coming across childhood friends and family. The stage is just to dull to be believable and all the scenery is tearing apart.

The unnerving final description about Darren and Steve being face to face is abusing mysticism and something downright fraudulent superstition. Also this "purge" that serves as a trope for puberty kills neurons altogether because of the lackluster of creativity it shows.

Again Steve has an evil lair, again it is filled with stakes, again he is insane and showing evilness beyond human standards. Again, he is trying to parallel himself to Darren. At this point it is just boring. What rescues the book from its inevitable doom is maybe that you get to see a parade of the characters and some of them can act a little bit impulsively. I guess that is something, right?

Lord of the Shadows
by Darren Shan

In this fantasy book, it is really interesting. They have a different aspect of the vampires. Unlike many other vampire books, it was vampires that were evil and they seek blood, and they kill their victims. But in this series, they have a new race of vampires. It wasn't the vampires who have been killing their victims when they drink blood from them, it was the vampaneze who drain blood dry from their victims.
I love this book because it is different from other vampire related books. Not only that it is fascinating that there is a new race of different vampires but also that there is going to be war against them. Another reason I love this book is because of its perspective, it is in the perspective of a vampire, Darren Shan, the protagonist. I found it interesting that the author's name who wrote this story is the protagonist of the story. It seems as if Darren really had experienced this, and the things inside.
I would love to recommend this book to anyone who loves mystery and scary books. But be aware, who knows what might be lurking in the corner of the night.

THIS DOES NOT fall into the same pitfalls as the previous two books

Instead of a meandering from the main plot arch, this time we are in the thick of things. I really enjoyed the contrast of Darren now vs Darren could-have-been as he is confronted with his old life and all the what-ifs that could have happened if he hadn't become a vampire.

The cat-and-mouse game between Darren and Steve was both engaging and annoying. I wanted confrontation, I wanted action...and when that happened...oh boy did I not want n  thatn to happen.

Previously, I have admired Shan (author, not character) for not skimping on the gore and death just because this is for middle schoolers. Books are too PG sometimes and his were a refreshing change.

HOWEVER

What he did to Ezra and his family...unforgivable...there is a difference between including death and doing that to one of your characters.

Audiobook Comments
Read by Ralph Lister - another great read by the Lister!

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The problem with reading a twelve book series is by this far along in the series, I can understand Darren Shan’s foreshadowing really well and it’s causing me to accurately predict what the big plot twists will be in the story. I wish I had a little more of that shock factor that I experienced with the early books in this series, but regardless I did end up still enjoying Lord of the Shadows.

Shan’s writing style is wonderful for me. It flows really smoothly with no dull parts so that I’m fully invested in the story from start to finish. If I had more free time, I could easily listen to one of these fast paced books in one day.

The grittiness and violence of the characters in Lord of the Shadows really helped up the stakes and the tension just in time for the finale. I can’t wait to read the final book soon. I’m hoping that it’ll be just as good as this one and I’m looking forward to finding out who survives the brutal battle to come.

Como puede haber tanto dolor y muerte en un libro tan pequeño.

Definitely the most painful of all the books so far. Melodramatic, gimmicky twists, and in terms of actual plot progression nothing much happens. They run into Steve multiple times but there are no real fights until the very end, which is cut off in the middle of things instead of following a normal story arc, and cut off with perhaps the most groan-worthy 'twist' of the whole series. Were these book not so quick to read (I can finish them in a day or two if I have lots of time) I probably would have stopped a long time ago, but I'm just curious enough to know how things turn out to finish the last book. I have a bad feeling there's some sort of deus ex machina twist ending in store given how hard they've been hammering the 'only two fates are possible and they both are bad' thing. It actually reminds me a little bit of HP where the search for the horcruxes is crammed into the last 2 books instead of spaced out more evenly so all the actually plot relevant stuff (in terms of defeating the bad guy) doesn't happen until near the end of the entire series.

I am not apprectiating how this book just ended. There are very few books that make me yell out at the end but I had to curse in disbelief. How dare he end this book in such a manner...I had already figured out who Darius was but damn Steve.. just damn..
Steve must be killed in some horrific way... Just because.

Si piensas que los otros libros no te desesperaron, imagina leer este.
Sigo diciendo esto es un relajo, como un gran amigo puede hacer semejantes disparates.
Volver a donde todo comenzó es el típico casi final para un libro.
Sigo añadiendo que los libros me dejan algunas lagunas.
De verdad que extremo.

Più va avanti, più peggiora. Non mi soffermeró oltre a discutere dell'assoluta incoerenza dei personaggi, dell'assurdita della trama, dei colpi di scena telefonati. Voglio solo far notare che ci sono due fazioni in lotta vampiri e vampiri killer, e poi ci sono anche personelaggi che sono in dubbio su chi siano i cattivi. E chi saranno mai? Quelli con "killer" nel nome, forse? L'autore non è riuscito a trovare niente di più efficace, questo è emblema della cura e impegno che sono stati messi in questa saga.

3.5 stars